Egg totalizer



Sept. 25, 1951 Filed March 14, 1950 H. J. MUMMA 2,568,758

EGG TOTALIZER 4 Sheets-Sheet l HAko/.D J. m/MMA ATTORNEY Sept. 25, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 14, 1950 v HIIIIIIIIIIII ATTORNEY MM wv xv M1.. n .Sm m mv m v. 3. w Y: s bw .l \N n wm x f on mn N mw wu Q mu H. J. MUMMA EGG TOTALIZER Sept. 25, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed March 14, 1950 /NVENTR HAROLD J. MUMMA By #www ATTORNEY Sept 25, 1'951 H. J. MUMMA 2,568,758

EGG TOTALIZER Filed March 14, 1950 4 S'heets-SheeI 4 /N VEN TOR HAROLD J. MUMMA A TTOR/VEY Patented Sept. 25, 1951 EGG TOTALIZER Harold J. Mumma, Riverside, Calif., assignor to Food Machinery and Chemical Corporation, San Jose, Calif., a corporation of Delaware Application March 14, 1950, Serial No. 149,630

6 Claims.

This invention relates to totalizing devices and represents an improvement of an egg totalizer disclosed and claimed in my co-pending application for U. S. Letters Patent, Serial No. 25,351, iiled May 6, i948, now Patent No. 2,540,751 issued February 6, 1951, and this application is a continuation-in-part of said `co-pending application.

It is an object of this invention to provide an egg .totalizer of improved design and particularly one which will have a fewer number of parts and which will be more reliable in operation while performing the same end functions as the egg totalizer covered by my lco-pending application aforesaid.

The manner of accomplishing the foregoing objects as well as further objects and advantages will be made manifest in the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view ofv a preferredy embodiment of the invention with certain elements thereof broken away to reveal structure otherwise hidden and with the ratchet dog control solenoid shown in section.

Fig. 2 is a sectional View on the line 2-2 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional View taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. l.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal rsectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a partial plan View similar to Fig. 1 illustrating the ratchet dog control activated to pull said dog into engagement with the ratchet wheel, which occurs whenever the motor for driving the ratchet is energized.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6*-'5 of Fig. 1 with the ratchet wheel partly in section so as to disclose themanner in which the secondary motor control switch is actuated manually to indicate a given number and to start the motor running.

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 and illustrates the manner in which said secondary motor switch is automatically opened after the motor actuates the counter a number of times equal to that indicated by the manual control.

Fig. 8 is a wiring diagram of the electrical system of the invention.

Referring specifically to the drawings, Fig. 1 shows an egg totalizer I8 which includes a base plate lI having a shallow bore l2 formed therein and having mounted thereon shafts I3, I4, and I5 which extend vertically upward therefrom.

Fixed in the bore I2 is an anti-friction bearing I6 on which is mounted a gear I'I. The upper end of shaft I3 has a washer I8 secured thereon by a screw I9 so as to trap asleeve 2U on said shaft, leaving said sleeve freely rotatable thereon. Surrounding the sleeve, and xed thereto as by a set screw 2I is the hub 22 of a gear 23 which meshes with gear Il.

Also surrounding the sleeve 20 are washers 24 and 25, the upper end of the sleeve 20 being threaded to receive a nut 26 which is turned down to clamp the washers 24 and 25 on the central web 2l of a manually rotatable indicatorr bell 28.

Formed in the periphery 29 of the bell 28 are notches into which a detent rollerII is urged by a spring 32. Roller 3| is mounted on an arm 33 which is pvotally connected by a screw 34to the base plate I I.

The indicator bell 28 isv provided with a series of numerals 35, one of which is disposed opposite each of the notches 3'0 as `shown in Fig; 8. There are thirty-six notches 30 formed in the periphery of the bell 28v and the numerals are arranged in three sets with numerals in each set from oneto twelve. These-numerals are arranged in clockwise order while the bell 28 is adapted to rotate in the direction ofthe arrow 36 which is anti-clockwise.

Also provided on the base plate II is a pointer 31 which points at one of the numerals 35 whenever the apparatus I0 has just completed a counting operation, the detent roller 3|' assisting in halting the indicator bell 28 by its being forced into the next one of the notches 30 when the bell 28 ceases to be driven.

Mounted on a bracket 40 fixed on the base plate II is a manually operable switch 4I, the throw lever 42 of which extends downwardlyV below the lower edge of the bell. Fixed on the upper surface of the base plate. II extending vertically `therefrom along one edge adjacent the gear I'I is a bracket 43 on which a switch 44 is mounted, this having an actuating arm 45 carrying a roller 4t which is adapted to ride on the upper surface of the gear Ilr or drop into a hollow 41 formed therein. The bracket 43 has a ratchet dog guide 48 extending therefrom over the gear Il.

Rotatably mounted on the shaft I4 is a gear having a crank pin 56 on which one end of a ratchet dog 5l is pivoted.

Also mounted on the base plate I-I is an electric motor Bil, this having a pinion 6I extending downwardly therefrom and meshing with the gear 55. Fixed on the base plate I I is a solenoid 62 having a U-shaped hood 63 extending from the open end thereof. This hood is apertured to permit a tightly coiled contractile spring 64 to extend therethrough and connect with the flanged head 65 of an armature 66 which is slidable in the solenoid 62. An expansive wire spring S'I is coiled about the armature 56 between the armature head B5 and the solenoid 62. This normally retains the armature S6 in extended position as shown in Fig. 1. The opposite end of the spring 64 is attached to an eye 'I0 provided on the dog 51 and the normal positioning of the armature 66 as shown in Fig. l results in the spring 64 swinging the dog 51 into contact with the guide 48,

Mounted on shaft I is a ratchet wheel TI having twelve teeth I2 formed on the periphery thereof at its upper end. The ratchet wheel II has a bore 73, the upper end of which is enlarged by a counter `bore '14. Freely rotatable in the bore 'I3 is the stem sleeve I5 of a gear 'I6 which meshes with the gear I'I. The lower end of the ratchet wheel 1I is turned down to receive an annular cam 1l, the periphery of which is cylindrical with the exception of a short hollow I8 formed therein. The annular cam I'I is adjustably secured to the ratchet wheel 'II by a set screw 19.

Fixed on the upper end of the sleeve 'I5 so as to be non-rotatable relative thereto and so as to be disposed within the counter bore I4 of the ratchet wheel 'II is a switch actuator `85 on the upper outer edge of which a rim 86 is formed. This rim has diametrically opposite radial slots 8'I, a lever 88 lying in said slots and having one end thereof pivoted on a pin vIBS resting in a hole bored in the switch actuator 85. The opposite end of the lever 88 has a downwardly extending helically beveled nose 90.

The actuator 85 is adapted to be rotated by the ratchet wheel il when a pin 9| mounted in the actuator is engaged by a pin 92 mounted in the ratchet wheel. When these pins are thus brought into engagement, the pin 92 engages and lifts the nose 90 of the lever `88, thus swinging the middle of the lever upwardly (as shown in Fig. 2) and maintaining it thus so long as the pin 92 engages the pin 9|.

Mounted on the plate are switches 93, 94, and 95. The switch 93 is actuated by a cam follower roller 95 which rides against the periphery of the cam 'Il'. The switch 94 is actuated by an arm 99 which rides against a ratchet wheel keeper dog |00 which is pivotally mounted on a post IOI xed upon and rising from the base plate I I. The dog |00 rides on the ratchet teeth 'I2 and drops in behind each of these as it passes the dog so as to prevent reverse movement of the ratchet wheel 1|.

The switch 95 is actuated by an arm |02 which is in turn actuated by a lever |03, the latter being pivoted on a bracket |04 which extends from switch 95 over the ratchet wheel 1|, the outer end of lever |03 bending down into contact with the middle portion of lever 88 as shown in Figs. 2, 6, and '7.

Also mounted on the base plate I| is a motor control impulse relay |05. This includes a mounting plate |06 which is secured to the base plate II and on which is iixed a vertical shaft I'I. Freely rotatable on this shaft is a ratchet wheel |08. Mounted on the plate |06 on opposite sides of the shaft |07 are solenoids |09 and III). These solenoids have armatures and I2 and springs |I3 and III! which hold these armatures against stops when the solenoids |09 and |I0 are de-energized. The armatures I I and ||2 carry dogs IIS and III which idle over the teeth of the ratchet wheel |08 when the solenoids |09 and I 0 are energized but which engage the teeth of the ratchet wheel and turn the latter when the ISI) solenoids are de-energized and the armatures I and I I2 are returned against the stops I I5 by the springs ||3 and |I4.

Also mounted on the plate |06 is a spring actuated detent ||9 which either rests within one of the notches between adjacent teeth of the ratchet wheel |08 or comes to rest with one of said teeth entering a notch |20 provided in the end of the detent I I9. The purpose of the detent is to prevent rotation of the ratchet wheel |08 in a counter-clockwise direction and to detain said wheel precisely in successive positions located one-fourteenth of a rotation apart.

Mounted above the relay |05 is a switch |2I, having an actuating arm |22. Pivoted on a shaft |23 is a notched arm |24, the end of which engages the ratchet wheel |08, this arm having an arm |25, the tip of which extends upwardly so as to engage the switch arm |22 and actuate the switch |2| each time a tooth of the ratchet wheel rides under the tip of the arm |24.

The egg totalizer I0 actuates a counter |25 and the electrical circuit of the entire device is preferably run by a low Voltage current (preferably 28 volts) which is supplied by a transformer |21. As pointed out in my co-pending application aforesaid, the totalizer I0 is normally caused to actuate the counter |26 either twelve times (or once for each of the eggs in a lled carton) or thirty-six times, where a carton containing thirty-six eggs is being packed. The totalizer I0 is set in motion to cause it to thus count all the eggs in a full carton by the latter being pushed from a packing station over a switch |28 which is located between said station and a, conveyor belt for carrying cartons away.

The wiring system of the invention shown in Fig. 8 includes leads |30 and |3I from the transformer |21.

The lead |30 connects to one side of each of the following elements: the motor |30, the solenoid 62, the switch 4I, the switch 93, the switch 94, and the switch |28. The lead |3| connects to one side of the following elements: the solenoid |09, the solenoid IIB, the switch 95, the switch |22, and to the counter |26.

The other side of the switch 4| connects to the other side of switch 44. The other side of switch 94 connects to the other side of counter |26. The other side of motor and solenoid |52 connects with the other side of switches 95 and |22; the other side of switch 44 connects to the other side of solenoid |09; and the other side of solenoid I|0 connects to the other side o! switch |28.

Operation The function of the totalizer IIJ in the packing of eggs is to actuate the counter |26 a number of times which is equal to the number of eggs packed in a certain grade by a given packer out of a given farmers lot. It is therefore necessary that this counter be actuated once for each of the eggs in each full carton of eggs of that grade packed in that lot. It is also necessary that this counter be actuated once for each of the eggs from that lot that is placed in a carton partially packed from a previously packed lot as is necessary to iill such partially packed carton.

Finally it is necessary that the counter |25 be actuated a number of times equal to the number of eggs of that grade packed from the particular lot in question at the wind up of that particular lot, and which are insuflicient in number to fill a carton.

Themanner in` which 'thesefunctio'ns are per- "iormed will be describedby'reference mainly to Fig. 8 in which the wiring system oil the totalizer 'is 'di-agrammatically illustrated. Assuming that cartons for holding adozen eggs are'being packed, the'switch '4| will be open as shown in thisgu're. This switchi'is closed when packing cartons, each 'of which 'contains thirty-six eggs, for reasons whichwill be made clear later.

k'Ihe'a'p'paratus I0 is shown in Fig' as when starting the packing of Jan Vempty carton for itwelve'eggs. Having been filled with twelve eggs,

this carton is pushed from the packing "station over the switch I 28 and onto theca'rry-awayc'on- 'veyor, 'this conta'ct with th'e 'switchIZ momentarily opening thelatt'er with'the following results.

The solenoid |`I is 'deeenergiz'ed permitting the `spring ||4 to pull on one ofthe teeth of the ratchet wheel |08 to give the latter a'one-fourteenth rotation, and thus close switch |22. This results in closing the circuit of the motor 60 and solenoid 62, thereby pulling'the ratchet dog 51 into engagement with the ratchet wheel 1I and 'starting to reciprocate this dog as shown inFig. 5, 'whereby this dog successively engages teeth 12 of yratchet wheel ISB, as shown by brokenlines in Fig. 8.

When theratchet wheel has closedthe switch 94 twelve times, 'so as to cause 4the counter |26 "to register the number twelve, the-hollow "It in the cam 11 arrives opposite the roller 96 of the Switch 93, thereby opening this switch,'and de- 'energizing solenoid |89, this permitting spring I I3 `to turn ratchetwheel |38 one-fourteenth of `a revolution which opens switch |22 rand de-energizes the motor GS and the solenoid 52. Immef'di'ately'upon' this'happcnin'g, the spring51 ofthe solenoid expands to shift the dog 51' out ofope'r'ative relation with the ratchet wheel 1| 'as shown in'Fig. 1.

vThe sliding of the keeper dog |90 into a notch between adjacent teeth 12 of the ratchet wheelTI under pressure of the switch spring `arm '99 'as `shown in Fig. l, tends to halt the ratchet'wh'eel 'when its actuation by the'motor 60 is th'us discontinued in a position with the dog |00 engaging one of. the teeth 12 assh'own in Fig. '1, which position'occurs immediately aftersaid'd'ogh'as ridden over said tooth and dropped in "behindth'e same.

For each successive carton which is fllled'by eggs .rpackedffrcnithis lot of the grade to which the device mand vcounter |26 relate, and which'is moved over the switch |28 ontoith'e carryeaw'a'y conveyor, the device I@ actuates the counter y|26 an additional "twelve times, which 'number is added to the count already recorded by this counter. l

Assuming that the iinal eggs packed frein this -lot in this l'particular grade ends lwith la partially filled cartonon the packing station, 'and assuming that seven eggs are inthis'carton, the operator placesher ngerin the 'notch30iopposite the lnummer'seven on the ieftjside ofthe-ben 2ans "shown 'in Fig. 8, immediately preceding the pointer 31, and rotates'the'bell'ZS untl'this' num- 'ber seven is'directly'opposite the poin't'er '31.

'During this'r'otation, as well'as during all"rota- "tion 'of the bell l2B, 'the roller :3| idles over the 'notches 30 and at the end of the manipulation` of 'the bell .28 just described, this roller drops into'a- 'notch 30'so as to detain the'bell 28 vfor the time being in the precise'position'to'which it has just ibeen moved.

The rotation ofthe beu '2a just 'described is transmitted through'the gears 23, I1, and 16 to the swt'chia'ctuator 35,'so'as torotate'this seventwelfth's of arevolution. At thesta'rt'of'a'ro'tation "thus imparted tothe actuator '85, the 'pins gl'a'nd 92 are in engagement as shown in Fig. "1

`and the'leve'r'88'is raised with the nose 90 thereof resting 'o'n'top of 'pin'92. Rotation of switch actuator from this position so as to leacl'th`e the arm m2 ofthe switch "95 to r'iseciosingihe latter, which energizes'the motor 60 and's'ole'noid 'tated'u'n'tilpin 92 'has contacted the levei'f'nse `9`0, lifted vthe lever v|38 as shown in Figs. 2 and f7, and thus opened'the switch 95. In'vi'e'w of the fact that the actuator 85 had been rotated seven-iftwelfths 'of a 'revolution in 'advance df the 'ratchet wheel 1| bythe manual rotation of V'the bell 28 'to bring the numeral seven opposite 'tl'i'e 'pointer 31, a seven-twelfths .revolution 'of the 'ratchet wheel 1| 'was necessaryv'to againbiin'g the pin 82 under the 'lever nose'SU and into "engageme'nt 'with 'the pin 9| as shown in Fig. 7. During 'this partial' rotation 'of the ratchet wheel 1I, "seventeeji'thereof passed under the do'g '|00 'thusactuating 'the'switch 9'4 'seven times which in lturncau'ses 'the counter |26 to add seven `.to `the count registered thereby. With the'openin'g of the v"svi/"itch 95, the motor 1is delenergi'ze'd and the solenoid62 `relaxed','thus immediately throwing the ratchet dog 51 out of operative relation with'the ratchet wheel 1 I.

The count of all the eggs of the grade being 'counted by 'the 'counter |25 which have been packed out of 'the 'particular lot in question vis now reilected by the'cou'nter i126. This counter preferably has ytype printing faces from 'which the total vshown'by the counter is "now printed 'oha record "card and thercounter'is returned to ze'ro "in -readiness 'for 'starting the 'packing of a second lotof eggs.

It 'is to be borne i'n mind 4that at the time of starting the packing of lot't'wo, a carton containing seven'eggs from lot one is resting on the-packing station. Itis vtherefore necessary to use five eggs from lot two to complete Vthe dozen eggs necessary to fill this carton.

Having placed this many eggs in this carton and thus ill'ed the same, this carton is moved over the switch |28 by the packer and `onto the carry-away conveyor. The momentary opening of switch |28 de-energizes the solenoid IIO permitting the'spring II4 to shift the dog I I1 from its'lfull line position as shown in Fig. `8 to its broken linegposition "'th'erein;` thereby rotating the A*ratchet "I 00 one-fourteenth of "a revolution.

7 This closes switch |22 which closes the circuit of the motor 60 and solenoid 62 and starts the dog 51 rotating the ratchet wheel 1 I.

It should be noted that at the time the switch |28 was momentarily opened by the carton which received only iive eggs from lot two in order to fill said carton, the cam 11 which is fixed to the ratchet wheel 1| had been turned with said ratchet wheel seven-twelfths of a revolution in completing the count of lot one.

It is now desired to actuate the counter iive times for the five eggs placed in the partially filled carton in order to fill the same.

This is accomplished by the rotation of the ratchet wheel 1|, from the position in which it was left after having been given seven-twelfths revolution to the position in which it is shown in Fig. 8. A full revolution of the ratchet wheel 1| is thus completed by a ve-twelfths revolution thereof which results in the switch 93 being opened, thereby de-energizing solenoid |09 which opens switch |22 and de-energizes the motor 60 and solenoid 62.

It is to be noted that while the seven-twelfths revolution of the ratchet wheel 1| was taking place in order to complete the total count of eggs packed from lot one, pins 9| and 92 were not in engagement and therefore the counter actuator 85 and the bell 28 connected therewith by gearing did not rotate. Thus when starting to pack eggs from lot two, the bell 28 remained with that same numeral seven disposed opposite the pointer 31. At the beginning of the counting of the rst five eggs packed out of lot two (which were needed to ll said carton) the pins 9| and S2 were in engagement and the livetwelfths rotation of the ratchet wheel 1| was transmitted through the gears 16, |1, and 23 to the =bell 28 to rotate the latter ve-thirty-sixths of a revolution, thereby bringing the next numeral twelve opposite the pointer 31.

The condition of the apparatus l at the conclusion of the counting of said ve eggs rst packed from lot two to fill a partially lled carton is as shown in Fig. 8. The use of the apparatus l0 from now on is merely repetitive of one or the other of the operations above described.

In case this apparatus is used in connection with cartons which hold thirty-six eggs, the switch 4| is closed so that the opening of the switch 93 no longer has any effect on the apparatus except when switch 44 is also open. It is now to be noted that gear |1 has a one to one relation with gear 23 and the gear 16 has a three to one relation with the gear |1. Thus the gear l1 rotates once while the gear 16 rotates three times, and as long as the pins 9| and 92 remain in contact, the ratchet Wheel 1| rotates three times for each revolution of the gear wheel |1.

Momentary opening of the switch |28, therefore, as by pushing a lled thirty-six egg carton thereover causes the switch |22 to close, thereby energizing the motor 60 and the solenoid 62. This starts to rotate the ratchet 1| which rotation is transmitted to the gear |1 and the bell 28. This rotation continues With the actuation of the counter |26 for each impulse given to the ratchet Wheel 1| until the latter has been rotated three times and thirty-six has been added to the total registered by the counter |36 before the hollow 41 on the gear |1 is again brought opposite the roller 46, permitting the latter to drop into this hollow and open switch 44.

This permits the opening of switch 93, which 8 follows almost immediately, to de-energize solenoid |09, permitting the spring ||3 to act on the ratchet Wheel |08 to open switch |22 and thus de-energize motor 60 and solenoid 62 thereby halting the rotation of the ratchet wheel 1| in the precise position in which it is shown in Fig. 1.

When using thirty-six egg cartons, the actuation of the counter |26 to count the eggs in a partially lled carton and subsequently to count the eggs necessary to complete the filling of the carton are accomplished in exactly the same manner as described with regard to twelve egg cartons.

The claims are:

1. In a device for actuating a counter, the combination of: a ratchet wheel, the number of teeth on which are equal to a standard number; reciprocating electromotive means for rotating said ratchet wheel one tooth at a time; a counter control switch having means for engaging said teeth whereby said switch is actuated and in turn actuates said counter once for each time onel of said teeth passes said means; primary control means for starting said electromotive means to operate repeatedly; primary stop means responsive to a complete single revolution of said ratchet wheel to stop said electromotive means; a rotor mounted concentrically with said ratchet wheel and adapted to be rotated by said ratchet wheel by the engagement of pins, one of which is on said ratchet wheel and one of which is on said rotor, being rotatable to Separate said pins whereby said rotor will be disposed any desired portion of an approximately i' complete revolution in advance of said ratchet Wheel; a secondary switch for starting said electromotive means repeatedly operating; and means responsive to an advance rotation of said rotor as aforesaid to close said secondary switch, thereby causing said electromotive means to rotate said ratchet wheel and actuate said counter switch and said counter a lesser number of times than said standard number and until said pins are again brought together, said secondary switch actuating means being responsive to said ratchet wheel catching up with the advanced position of said rotor to open said secondary switch and halt said electromotive means.

2. A combination as in claim 1, in which the next successive actuation of said primary control means following a partial rotation of said ratchet wheel as aforesaid causes another partial rotation of said ratchet wheel, in this instance just suflicient to actuate said counter a number of times which when added to said lesser number will equal said standard number, said primary stop means thereupon halting said electromotive means.

3. A combination as in claim 2 having a finger dial adapted for manual operation to indicate a selected number less than said standard number; and means connecting said dial with said rotor so that the actuation of said dial rotates said rotor in advance of said ratchet wheel through an angular movement subtending a number of ratchet teeth equal to said selected number.

4. A combination as in claim l, in which the means for actuating said secondary switch includes a diametral lever pivotally mounted at one end thereof on said rotor and vertically responsive at its opposite end to engagement with the pin on said ratchet wheel whereby said secondary switch is closed when said lever is moved out of engagement with said pin by rotation of said rotor, and said switch is opened when said pin again engages said lever by virtue of the rotation of said ratchet Wheel.

5. A combination as in claim 1 in which said electromotive means comprises a gear wheel and an electric motor for driving said gear wheel; a crank pin on said gear Wheel; a ratchet dog pivotally mounted on said crank pin; a solenoid included in the circuit of said motor; and means connecting the armature of said solenoid with said ratchet dog whereby the energizing of said motor circuit starts said motor and energizes said solenoid to cause the latter to pull said dog into operative relation with said ratchet wheel; and means operative upon the cle-energizing of said solenoid to move said dog out of operative relation With said ratchet wheel.

6. A combination as in claim l in which the next successive actuation of said primary control means following a partial rotation of said ratchet Wheel as aforesaid causes another partial rotation of said ratchet wheel, in this instance just suiiicient to actuate said counter a number of times which, when added to said lesser number, Will equal said standard number, said primary stop means thereupon halting said electromotive means; a finger dial adapted for manual operation to indicate a selected num- 10 ber less than said standard number; means connecting said dial with said rotor so that the actuation of said dial rotates said rotor in advance of said ratchet Wheel through an angular movement subtending a number of ratchet teeth equal to said selected number; said means for connecting said dial to said rotor including a gear on said rotor, a gear on said dial, and an intermediate gear meshing with the aforesaid gears, the number of teeth on said intermediate gear being a multiple of the number of teeth on said rotor gear; and alternate secondary stop means associated with said intermediate gear and adapted to be substituted for said primary stop means associated with said ratchet Wheel and which, when so substituted, is operative to cause said electromotive means to remain in operation When started by said primary control means until said intermediate gear has turned through a complete revolution since the last previous stopping of said electromotive means by said alternate stop means whereupon said alternate stop means functions automatically to halt said electromotive means.

HAROLD J. MUMMA.

No references cited 

